“Nine and a half hours to Torgau” That’s what the Kursächsische Postmeilensäule Taucha would have told travelers in 1723. Right here before you stands a testament to Saxony’s meticulous past. This isn’t just a milestone. It’s a Ganzmeilensäule a complete milepost a symbol of precise measurement in a time before GPS.
The Kursächsische Postmeilensäule Taucha was erected in 1723. It’s a replica mind you. The original stone from Rochlitzer Porphyr vanished. It’s part of a network of such posts. These marked distances along important postal and trade routes across the Electorate of Saxony. This encompassed a much wider area than present-day Saxony. These posts are now found in Thuringia Brandenburg Saxony-Anhalt and even Poland.
August the Strong ordered these mileposts erected. His goal was to standardize postal charges based on precisely measured distances. Pastor Adam Friedrich Zürner led the surveying effort. His team used a specially designed cart. The rear wheel’s rotation a Dresden rod 4.531 meters per revolution was mechanically counted. This allowed extremely accurate distance measurement a feat of engineering for its time.
The original Taucha milepost stood near the intersection of Leipziger Straße Südstraße and Windmühlenstraße. It was number 4 along the Leipzig-Eilenburg-Torgau post road. This formed part of the Via Regia a historic trade route. This specific post was part of the Leipzig-Breslau postal route. It was located on the Via Regia a major historical trade route.
The reconstruction project was the brainchild of Jürgen Ullrich. He was the former chairman of the Förderverein Schloss Taucha. It took years of research and dedication. The Forschungsgruppe Kursächsische Postmeilensäulen provided invaluable assistance. The new milepost stands proudly on a traffic island. It’s highly visible on the newly redesigned B 87 intersection.
This elegant obelisk stands at 3.86 meters tall. It bears the gilded post horn emblem. It has the gilded initials AR for Augustus Rex. The distances to Eilenburg 3.5 hours Torgau 9.5 hours and Leipzig 2 hours are also inscribed in black. Remember these are not time measurements but distances in Wegstunden. A Wegstunde or league was half a Saxon post mile approximately 4.531 kilometers.
The Kursächsische Postmeilensäule Taucha isn’t just a historical marker. It’s a tribute to the dedication of those involved in its reconstruction. It’s a beautiful reminder of how a determined person can bring the past back to life. It’s a perfect photo opportunity for tourists and wedding couples alike. So take your pictures. Take in the story. Reflect on the lengths that were taken to create a unified measurement system in 18th century Saxony.